The China Garden by Liz Berry

I admit that at first I wasn't sure about this book. Our main character, Clare, starts off by whining a lot. My mommy doesn't understand me, she hate my boyfriend, she doesn't agree with my career choice. Wah, Wah, Wah. But I promised a friend that I'd read the book, so I kept on. Once we got to Ravensmere, things started to pick up. Clare stopped whining quite so much and the mystery of the place intrigued me. Se there's something ancient and magical at Ravensmere and only the psychic children of "two houses alike in dignity" (and yes I did quote Romeo and Juliet, but I promise that this story has a happy ending. :) ) can protect the secret of Ravensmere from the outside world. This is also where the "bad boy" Mark comes in. For Mark is the destined husband of Clare, the illegitimate son of the other "house". So I'd say give this book a chance. Once the story gets going, it's really quite good!

Healer

This book by Linda Windsor strides the boundary between fantasy and historical fiction. It takes place during the time of King Arthur (yes that King Arthur) where two clans Glenarden and Gowrys are at war with one another. We soon meet Brenna and Ronan, two children of these two clans. What emerges is a sort of Romeo and Juliet tale where Brenna and Ronan fall in love and marry. Unlike Shakespeare's tragedy though, these two live to unite their clans as one under the banner of the Pendragon.

The fantasy comes in through the "witchcraft" of two of the main characters. Brenna is a prophetess and a healer, using her God given knowledge of herbs and herb lore to help those around her. Windsor calls it pre science in her introduction.

The other witches are Rhianon and Keena. Rhianon is the wife of Ronan's younger brother and uses what knowledge she posses for dark and evil purposes. One of the most chilling passages I have ever read is when Keena summons a demon to posses Caden at Rhianon's request.  One wonders what she could possibly have been thinking.

This is a Christian fantasy, but in it the only ones using real "magic" are the evil ones, yet it was still close enough that I decided that it belonged in this blog. :)

I know that in a previous post I said that witches and demons were strikes against a book, but I want it known that I'm not contradicting myself. In the book Hounded, these things were presented as really okay, just another way of life. In Healer they are clearly labeled evil.

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is based on the popular video game franchise of the same name. In the movie, Prince Dastan, an orphan adopted by the emperor of Persia, is accused of murdering his adopted father by giving him a poisoned cloak. He escapes and then attempts to clear his name. In this process he is aided by the Princess Tamina and a group of outcasts in the Valley of Thieves. He is also comes across a magical dagger given to Princess Tamina and her people by the ancient gods. This dagger has the ability to turn back the sands of time and only the holder of the dagger realizes what happened. The movie is a fun fantasy romp and does include real character growth in both Dastan and Tamina. An enjoyable movie for the whole family.

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Although Robin McKinley has written at least two more fairy tale adaptations including another surrounding Beauty and the Beast, this is by far the best adaptation. If you've never read the original story, Beauty is the youngest of three sisters with a widowed merchant father. When the father loses all their money they move to the country and the two selfish sisters make Beauty do all the work. When one of the father's ships comes in he goes back to the city. The older sisters ask for things like silk and satin and Beauty asks for a single rose. On his way home, Dad stumbles across the Beast's castle and steals a rose for Beauty. This ticks the Beast off and he says he needs to either bring his daughter to the castle or come himself. Beauty goes back to the castle and finds the Beast to actually be a kind companion when he isn't angry. Every night he asks Beauty to marry him, and every night she says no. Until at last when she thinks the Beast is dying she tells him yes, the spell is broken and they live happily ever after.

What I like about Beauty is first that the sisters are not mean and selfish in the book. They all love each other and want what's best for the other, and all chip in with the housework. When Dad asks what they want, they do say silk and satin, but it's said in jest. They really just want their father to come home safely. Beauty is also not a beauty. In her words (the book is told in first person) it's an unfortunate nickname because she didn't want her given name of Honor at the age of five. She's a bookworm, and prefers the companionship of her books to people. One thing she thinks about when she agrees to go stay with the Beast is that she'll be able to study again because there must be some sort of library at the castle. I guess the comic relief is the two invisible servants that wait on Beauty. They always have something to say about the situation. The story stays close enough to the original fairy tale with Beauty having to agree to marry the Beast in order to break the spell, and of course everyone lives happily ever after. The book is available in paperback and in nook and kindle.